IACUC Policies & Guidance
These policy statements describe how the MGH IACUC implements the laws, regulations, and accreditation standards governing animal research. All research staff using animals in research at MGH and SHC are required to know and follow these policies.
The policies are updated as needed to reflect current regulatory standards.
For the full binder of policies, please click here.
Contact the IACUC for questions or feedback about these policies.
Please click each title below to expand the section for a full list of policies.
PROTOCOL REVIEW, HOUSING, COLLABORATIONS, TRANSPORTATION
- Protocol Review Process
- Amendment Review Policy
- Policy on Animal Tissue Protocols
- Policy on Principal Investigator Eligibility
- Policy on Research Support Teams
- Policy on Environmental Enrichment and Social Housing
- Policy on Access to Centralized Animal Facilities
- Policy on Housing o Live Vertebrate Animals Outside of CCM Centralized Facilities
- Policy on Housing and Use of Animals Outside of MGH Facilities
- Policy for Transportation of Animals
ANIMAL USE PROCEDURES
- Policy on Anesthesia and Analgesia
- Policy on Adjuvant Use in Research Animals
- Policy on Blood Collection
- Policy on Euthanasia
- Policy on Controlled Food and Fluid Intake in Laboratory Animals
- Policy on Monoclonal Antibody Production
- Policy on Observation and Record- Keeping
- Policy on Post-Operative and Post-Procedural Care
- Policy on Rodent Breeding and Cage Density
- Policy on Spontaneous and Induced Tumor Production in Rodents
- Policy on Surgery and Procedures
- Policy on Toe-clipping of Mice
VETERINARY CARE, ANIMAL CARE and CONCERNS, PHOTO/VIDEO
- Policy on Animal Acquisition
- Policy on Adequate Veterinary Care
- Policy on Humane Endpoints in Animal Research Protocols (TBD)
- Policy on Laboratory Animal Videos
- Policy on Quarantine and Acclimation
- Policy on Reporting Animal Welfare Concerns
- Policy on Reporting Adverse Events and Unexpected Experimental Outcomes (TBD)
SAFETY, DRUGS AND MEDICAL MATERIALS
GUIDANCE AND STANDARDS
- Guidelines for Preparing Drugs and Agents for Animal Research
- Labeling Requirements and Expiration Dates for Research Drug and Agents
- Standards for Manual Sanitization of Equipment
- Manual Sanitization SOP (video)
- Charm Swab SOP (video)
- Operating Room Standards
- Isoflurane Vaporizer Tech Sheets
- Guidelines on Photographs and Videos Involving Laboratory Animals